Spurned ex-boyfriend from Northumberland village found guilty of stalking

Jonathon Blacklock launched a cruel campaign to "hurt and humiliate" his victim after their short fling ended in 2020.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Blacklock told the woman's manager the explicit pictures had been "taken by her while at work".

To make matters worse, prosecutor Omar Ahmad said when the woman reignited a relationship with a previous partner, Blacklock followed him to a garden centre and showed him the same private images.

He also continued his crusade against her by writing graffiti on the streets, which called her abusive names and dumped rubbish and food on her driveway with a note attached saying "trash for trash".

The court heard Blacklock sent nasty text messages, covered her garden in pieces of paper calling her a slapper and a w***e, and attacked her and her son's car. He also vandalised her partner's work van.

Blacklock left notes under a stone on the man's doorstep, as well as women's underwear. And during a one-night spree of criminal behaviour, he punctured the tyres on nine cars in the streets surrounding the man's home.

Blacklock, of Rimside View, Longframlington, admitted stalking, two charges of disclosing private sexual photographs and 12 of criminal damage.

After being arrested, he told police he had "acted out of desire to embarrass and hurt” his former girlfriend.

Judge Edward Bindloss told Blacklock: "This was an extremely nasty series of actions designed to hurt and humiliate."

The court heard details of medical reports carried out on behalf of Blacklock, which revealed he had had significant mental health issues, but had now taken responsibility for them “and shown a high level of remorse”.The judge sentenced him to 14 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements, a two-month curfew and a restraining order to protect the victim.

Richard Bloomfield, mitigating, said Blacklock had stayed out of trouble since his arrest, adding: "He has come to his senses and sought help, and it looks like that help has worked.

"The humiliation that has been caused, he can't put that right."